A new app available to the University of Lynchburg community will help students stay connected and enhance safety and security around campus.
The College has partnered with LiveSafe, the leading mobile technology solution being used by forward-thinking schools in more than 25 states across the U.S. The app allows students, faculty, staff, and parents of students to directly and seamlessly contact campus safety officials for a broad range of safety issues. It was created by a group of entrepreneurs including Kristina Anderson, a survivor of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting who also leads an organization dedicated to school safety.
The LiveSafe campus safety app enables a two-way communication system between students and campus officials. Students can share information about anything from suspicious activity and mental health concerns to sexual assault and violence. This information can be shared through text message, photo, or video directly from their smart phones—and anonymously if they choose. Accompanying location data allows safety officials to respond to actionable items and monitor real-time information on a Command Dashboard. LC safety personnel also can broadcast messages to app users.
The app includes SafeWalk, a feature that allows students to invite their friends to “virtually escort” them by monitoring their location on a real-time map. SafeWalkers can simultaneously chat with one another to maintain constant contact.
“LiveSafe is a powerful communication tool that will help us create a closer, more connected community,” said Bob Driskill, director of campus safety and security. “Students are incredibly connected to their smartphones, so providing them with a modern solution to share safety information made sense for our campus.”
“LiveSafe is committed to making the world a safer place and we’re proud to partner with prestigious institutions like University of Lynchburg,” said LiveSafe founder, Shy Pahlevani. “Technology is breaking down barriers for students to take more control of their campuses, to more effectively look out for one another, and to create a safer environment that ensures students get most out of their college experience.”
LiveSafe is available to the University of Lynchburg community to download for free on iPhone and Android devices.
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About LiveSafe, Inc.:
LiveSafe is a new mobile-safety technology that allows campuses to connect to their community on safety- and security-related issues via discreet and effective two-way communication. Through a smartphone app, individuals can report safety concerns to safety officials who monitor and respond via the real-time, web-based LiveSafe Command Dashboard. Individuals share information with friends and safety officials about sexual assault, mental health issues, and violence — preventing incidents before they occur. LiveSafe is growing quickly and is now used on campuses of all sizes, public and private, across more than 25 states. For more information, visit www.livesafemobile.com and follow LiveSafe on Twitter at @LiveSafeApp.